


The Wounds We Lick and the Ones We Hide

by stellarparallax



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Body Image, Canon Compliant, Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, I'm really not sure what to tag, Kissing, M/M, They are both really hurt and they comfort each other basically, mentions of injury, non-graphic injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2018-02-04
Packaged: 2019-03-13 08:08:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13566402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stellarparallax/pseuds/stellarparallax
Summary: After the Blade of Mamora trials, Keith is distraught with the knowledge that his fears are confirmed. He really is part Galra and everything is different now. With the knowledge that he has the same heritage as the ones who tortured Shiro while he was in captivity, he can't bear to be around him. Unfortunately, his beaten up and collapsing body isn't strong enough to help him avoid Shiro.





	The Wounds We Lick and the Ones We Hide

**Author's Note:**

  * For [subchesters](https://archiveofourown.org/users/subchesters/gifts).



> Hey there! This is my Sheith Secret Santa pinch hit for Jess (bottomnoctis on tumblr)
> 
> Merry Christmas! I hope you like it!

After what happened at the Blade of Marmora, Shiro didn’t want anyone else to be around Keith for longer than was necessary. He could tell that Keith’s nerves were a little frayed, and he wouldn’t be able to deal with anyone’s comments or jabs. As soon as they introduced Kolivan to the rest of the team, Shiro tried to lead Keith away from the bridge. He wrapped his left arm around Keith’s waist, and held Keith’s right hand with his own to steady him.

“Keith, let’s get you to your--”

“No,” Keith mumbled, pushing Shiro away.

“Keith, what’s wrong?”

“I… I can do this myself. I can manage.”

Keith took two steps and would have collapsed against the tiles if it weren’t for Shiro catching him. The knife in his right hand slipped right out of his weakened grasp, clattering against the Castle floor. He took a quick glance at it before his eyes fluttered shut. His head was rested evenly in the center of Shiro’s chest, finally giving in to fatigue. The Blade of Marmora trials had leached the energy and strength out of him, and it showed so evidently. If Keith had noticed it himself, he had been doing an excellent job of being as stubborn about his condition as humanly possible up till that point. 

_ Human. _

With his right hand supporting Keith’s back and his left running his fingers through Keith’s matted hair, Shiro took a moment to savour being so close to Keith. He wished that the circumstances were different, but it had been so long since they’d done anything more intimate than firm shoulder touches and fond looks. Since Shiro’s escape from the Galra Empire, he had been resistant to closeness, and Keith thankfully was observant enough to notice, and considerate enough to give him his space. It had been a lot to process and he appreciated Keith’s patience.

He took a deep breath, then lifted Keith into a bridal carry. He chucked at the thought of Keith’s reaction had he been conscious. He would have struggled and jumped right out of his arms like the awkward little firecracker he was.

In fact, he once did. Back at the Galaxy Garrison, Shiro had been assigned to Keith’s class as a chaperone during a field trip to the ruins close by the academy. Keith had gotten a little excited when he saw some of the broken-down primitive vehicles and had run off without telling anyone. A few hours later after looking all over, Shiro found him pouting, sitting in the debris with a twisted ankle. He tried to carry him back to the bus, but Keith had insisted that he could walk on his own. Shiro was concerned that he’d only get more injured so he lifted him up without asking. Keith then jumped out of his arms and twisted his other ankle as he fell on uneven ground. He was stuck in the infirmary for a week after that.

It felt like such a long time ago to Shiro, but the truth was that it hadn’t even been two years since then -- only about six months before the launch of the Kerberos mission. Before the mission, they had gradually grown comfortable to each other’s touch. They had known each other for years, but it was only until the mission drew near that they finally admitted their feelings for each other. Shiro gritted his teeth at the painful realisation that all of that progress had been ruined by Shiro’s imprisonment. 

Shiro didn’t have access to Keith’s room, so he took Keith to his own. He rested Keith’s limp body against the wall for a moment for him to place his palm on the biometric scanner. When the doors slid open, he picked Keith up and carried him in.

He placed him gently onto his bed, careful not to lean him on any part of his body that he knew would be a little more sore than the others. Slowly and hesitantly, he removed Keith’s paladin armour piece by piece. Soon, all that was left was his regular loose dark grey t-shirt and pants. Shiro considered removing Keith’s shirt to check for open wounds, but he hesitated at the sight of dark, red patches blooming on the fabric along his sides. He clicked his tongue, realising that he should probably have taken him to the cryopod instead. 

Keith’s eyes peered open. He looked at Shiro, then away. He groaned as he tried to get up from Shiro’s bed, then fell back down.

“Easy,” Shiro said soothingly.

“I… need… to go…”

“Where? No, you need to stay here and rest. Stop being so stubborn,” Shiro said firmly.

“I can’t be around you, Shiro.”

Shiro felt like his chest was collapsing inward. He wasn’t sure what Keith meant by his statement, but he was suddenly afraid that his distance in the last year or so had caused Keith to grow wary of his presence. Perhaps, he was expecting too much when he thought that Keith would patiently wait for him to be ready.

“Why not?” his voice cracked.

“Why not? Shiro, I’m part Galra! That’s the same race that… that...”

Silence filled the air, threatening to suffocate both of them. Finally, it released its hold on Shiro long enough for him to get a few words out.

“That doesn’t change anything.”

“Shiro…”

Shiro took a step back and started removing his paladin armour. He unzipped his vest and tossed it onto the ground. He bit his lip, then pulled his shirt off, revealing a mess of scars all over his upper half, especially concentrated around the area where his own arm stopped and his Galra arm began. 

“Look at me. I’m part Galra too, Keith.”

“Shiro, you didn’t have a choice…”

“And you did?”

Keith averted his eyes. Shiro sat on the bed next to him and put his hand on his shoulder reassuringly. He watched as Keith slowly turned, meeting his gaze again. Keith smiled weakly.  

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you with your shirt off.”

“I know. I’ve just been…”

“You don’t have to explain.”

“We’re really messed up, aren’t we?” Shiro laughed sardonically.

“Yeah…”

Keith moved his hand closer to Shiro’s, then pulled back. He tried again, blushing when their hands finally touched. Shiro gaped back at him. 

“Uh, Shiro? You, uh… you look good.”

“In spite of the scars and the arm?”

“In spite of? Shiro, because of.”

“Really?”

“Are you kidding me?” 

Keith leaned away from Shiro to look at him in his entirety, examining every curve and crack that his body was composed of. He reached out to touch a long scar across his abdomen.

“All of it tells a story that makes up the new you. This, this one right here? It tells me that you fought your way back to me. This?” he moved his hand further up Shiro’s chest to touch another scar, “This tells me that even when you were fighting for your life, you showed mercy.”

Shiro’s lips parted to say something, but his words escaped him. His breathing started to get heavier as he anticipated what Keith would say next.

“Your Galra arm tells me that you had something taken away from you, but even then you are still complete. And this,” his fingers finally reached the scar on Shiro’s nose, “This tells me that you tried to stop someone else from getting killed and they put a muzzle on you.”

“How did you--”

“I didn’t. I know you, Shiro.”

Shiro took Keith’s hand away from his nose and kissed it with trembling lips. Keith’s other hand found its way to Shiro’s cheek, and Shiro melted under his touch. He sighed as the anxiety over his self-imposed touch deprivation dissipated. He had longed for Keith so much. 

“Keith,” Shiro breathed, “How can you see all that in me but not in yourself?”

Keith’s eyes were brimming with tears.

“Because no one sees my scars but me.”

Shiro pulled at Keith’s hand, causing Keith to crash right into him. He tightened his arms around Keith’s smaller frame. He felt Keith sobbing with his face pressed up against his bare chest, and he only held him closer.

“I see them, and I only love you more.”

Keith lifted his head, deep purple eyes staring wistfully at Shiro. Shiro’s breath hitched as he looked down at him with incandescent love. His hands moved up from Keith’s back, cupping his face in his hands. 

“Are you sure?” Shiro whispered.

“I’ve never been more sure in my life.”

Their faces inched closer to each other, neither daring to make the first bold move, until finally their lips met and they drowned in each other’s desire. Shiro could feel Keith’s tears getting smeared against his own face, but he didn’t mind -- not when Keith was kissing him with salt-tinged ferocity. They parted for a split second for air, then collided again swiftly as if the momentary lapse drove them mad. Flesh to flesh, and teeth to flesh, unwinding each other raw. Finally, they broke apart, breathing heavily as they pressed their foreheads together.

“I miss that,” Keith purred.

“I didn’t realise we… ever kissed like that.”

“No, we hadn’t. I miss it  _ now _ .”

Before Shiro could respond, Keith’s lips were already at the corner of Shiro’s. He let them linger before he moved them to the tip of Shiro’s nose, then the scar across the bridge. Finally, he stopped at the space between Shiro’s eyes. All the noise and static in his head went silent, shielded from any interference. What was left in its wake was calm.

“Keith…”

“Do you want me to stop?”

“No. I just think that we should get you all bandaged up. You’re bleeding through your shirt.”

Shiro hooked his fingers at the hem of Keith’s shirt, peeling it off gently so as to not pull too hard at the areas where cotton stuck fast to laceration. Thankfully, the cuts were wide, but not deep. Keith wouldn’t need stitches or a night in the cryopod, but he needed to have them dressed or they may not heal well enough. Shiro would have to leave Keith to get first aid supplies. It almost pained him to walk away.

“I need to go.”

“I’ll wait,” Keith leaned back into the bed, defiling the once-white sheets with his crusted blood. 

“I know,” Shiro smiled before adding, “You always have. You always will.”

“As many times as it takes.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading till the end! I would really appreciate it if you left kudos and comments!
> 
> You can yell at me @stellar-parallax on tumblr!


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